It was "very strange" that a ban on the trade of bluefin tuna was being proposed but not on other endangered fish species such as cod, Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino said yesterday, defending Malta's position against the ban.
Addressing the media during an overview of the work undertaken by his ministry, Mr Pullicino did not elaborate on his statement when asked whether he meant Malta was being economically bullied by larger EU countries.
Cod is fished extensively in the North Atlantic and the North Sea and is an important industry for British and Scandinavian fishermen.
Environmentalists have warned that overfishing could lead to the collapse of cod fish stocks just as much as tuna stocks could disappear in the Mediterranean.
Malta was the only EU member state to oppose a ban on bluefin tuna after other countries, including France, Italy and Spain, changed their position and favoured the ban during the last EU Council meeting.
"I do not know why these countries changed their position but they are favouring a ban on certain conditions, which include the opening of the tuna fishing season for the next two years and compensation for fishermen and operators when the ban comes into force," Mr Pullicino said.
He reiterated Malta's stand in favour of the sustainable management of fish stocks as was agreed during the meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (Icaat).
The EU has decided to support a ban on bluefin tuna trade by giving the fish maximum protection under Annex 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) during the meeting of signatories underway in Doha, Qatar.
Trade in tuna accounts for five per cent of Malta's exports and is considered an important economic activity.
France, Spain and Italy also have thriving tuna businesses and, although they have supported the EU's position in favour of a ban, sources described it a mise en scène since government officials are purported to have said in private they were convinced the ban would not be approved in Doha.
The ban on bluefin tuna was proposed by Monaco and is supported by the EU and the US. However, Japan, where bluefin tuna meat is prized for use in sushi, opposes the ban outright.